Emperor Pilaf Saga
The Emperor Pilaf Saga also known as The Saga of Goku is the first fictional saga in the Dragon Ball manga and anime. It is in this saga that Goku and Bulma meet, and where they also meet allies Yamcha, Puar, Oolong, Master Roshi, Turtle, Chi-Chi, Ox-King and others. The principal villain of the saga is Emperor Pilaf and his underlings, Shu and Mai, though technically most of the allies-to-be started out as villains. Unlike later sagas, the first adventures are very episodical. Characters and situations are introduced and resolved in single issue/episode and they are connected only via the attempt to locate the Dragon Balls. The anime edition of this saga introduced Emperor Pilaf (and his underlings) much earlier and provided a more cohesive arc over the initial episodes. Some of the characters and situations in this first part of the Dragon Ball plot are rehashed from Akira Toriyama's earlier pilot, Dragon Boy. In addition, the influence of the Chinese folk-novel Journey to the West is at its peak at this early stage. Videos DVD * Saga Of Goku Uncut (1-13) (Australia and New Zealand Release Only) * Saga Of Goku: Volume 1 Edited (1-7) * Saga Of Goku: Volume 2 Edited (8-13 Plus The Movie, Curse of the Blood Rubies.) VHS * Dragon Ball Volume 1: Secret of the Dragon Balls Edited (1-2) * Dragon Ball Volume 2: Nimbus Cloud of Roshi Edited (3-4) * Dragon Ball Volume 3: Yamucha the Desert Bandit Edited (5-6) * Dragon Ball Volume 4: Ox King on Fire Mountain Edited (7-8) * Dragon Ball Volume 5: Boss Rabit's Magic Touch Edited (9-10) * Dragon Ball Volume 6: Legend of Goku Edited (11-13) Boxset *VHS & DVD Boxsets Available from Trimark *"Dragon Ball Season One" (episodes 1-28) boxset available September 15 from Funimation. Characters Main characters * Goku * Bulma * Oolong * Yamcha * Puar * Emperor Pilaf * Shu * Mai Supporting characters * Master Roshi * Turtle * Chi-Chi * Ox-King * Monster Carrot * Bear Thief Battles Featured some of the battles in the emperor pilaf saga aren't completely full fledged battles as some of them are just minor physical conflicts. * Goku vs. Sabretooth Cat * Goku vs. Giant Fish * Goku vs. Bulma * Goku vs. Pterodactyl * Goku vs. Pack of Wolves * Goku vs. Bear Thief * Goku vs. Oolong * Goku vs. Yamcha * Goku vs. Yamcha (2nd Time) * Goku vs. Ox King * Yamcha vs. Chi-Chi * Chi-Chi vs. Master Roshi * Goku vs. Rabbit Mob * Goku, Yamcha & Puar vs. Monster Carrot Episode Guide 1. Secret of the Dragon Balls Bulma's search for six more Dragon Balls leads her to a remote valley and to Goku, who is in possession of one of the balls. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start, but after Goku saves Bulma's life, the two join forces in search of the remaining five Dragon Balls. They had better take care, for an evil force - Emperor Pilaf - also seeks the Dragon Balls. 2. The Emperor's Quest Without realizing where they are, Bulma and Goku camp near Skull Valley, a foreboding land where one of the Dragon Balls lies hidden. Emperor Pilaf dispatches his henchmen to recover the ball, but they and Goku run into each other and a pack of ravenous wolves. Who will emerge the winner? 3. The Nimbus Cloud of Roshi As a token of appreciation, Master Roshi presents Goku the Flying Nimbus Cloud, a magical flying cloud that can be ridden only by someone pure of heart. He gives Bulma an orange bauble that he wears around his neck, a seemingly worthless stone that had washed up on the beach. It turns out that this "bauble" is in fact a Dragon Ball. Unfortunately for our friends, Emperor Pilaf and his aids, Mai and Shu, are also after this same Dragon Ball...and now they know that Bulma has it. 4. Oolong the Terrible Bulma and Goku's search for the Dragon Balls takes them to the remote valley where they encounter Oolong, a shape-changing monster who is terrorizing Aru Village. They are promised a Dragon Ball by the local townspeople if they can defeat the fierce monster. Can our heroes possibly defeat this wily creature? 5. Yamcha the Desert Bandit Bulma and Goku continue their quest for the Dragon Balls with Oolong. But the next Dragon Ball lies beyond the Diablo Desert. Oolong is terrifies, for he knows that the Diablo Desert is home to Yamcha, a fearsome bandit who possesses the awesome power of the Wolf Fang Fist. Can our friends make it through the desert to their destination? 6. Keep an Eye on the Dragon Balls While Bulma, Goku and Oolong recover from the ordeal of acquiring five Dragon Balls, Yamcha and Puar try to steal them out from under their noses so that Yamcha can obtain his own grandiose goal. But they're not the only ones after the Dragon Balls! Oolong wouldn't mind having the Dragon Balls, and Emperor Pilaf's henchmen are closing in as well. 7. The Ox-King on Fire Mountain The search for the sixth Dragon Ball leads the Dragon Ball Team to Fire Mountain, home of the dreaded Ox-King. They arrive at the base of the mountain, but the scorching Eternal Flames prevent them from reaching the castle at the summit and the Dragon Ball within. To make matters worse, Ox-King appears to ward off intruders. Will our heroes be able to capture the sixth Dragon Ball? 8. The Kamehameha Wave Master Roshi, who appears to be a wise but feeble old man, reveals that he is a master of the "Kamehameha", an ancient and formidable force. The power, which he channels through his hands, creates a wave of tremendous destruction that can topple mountains. 9. Boss Rabbit's Magic Touch Bulma and Goku's search for the Dragon Balls takes them to a remote village that is being terrorized by a villainous gang, the Rabbits. Before long, Goku and Dragon Ball Team come face to face with two of the Rabbits, and Goku must fight to protect his friends. Can he protect them from the surprise Monster Carrot has in store for them? 10. The Dragon Balls are Stolen The Dragon Ball Team races toward the seventh Dragon Ball. Little do they know that their enemies await them. Can Emperor Pilaf be stopped from gathering the last of the Dragon Balls and making his evil wish? 11. The Penalty is Pinball The Dragon Ball Team escapes their prison to search for Pilaf and the Dragon Balls. Their freedom is short-lived, however, for the Dragon Ball Team stumbles into another one of Pilaf's treacherous traps: a giant pinball machine! The team runs a desperate race through the maze of corridors. What hope can be left for the Dragon Ball Team as they try to stop Pilaf from gaining his evil wish to rule the Earth? 12. A Wish to the Eternal Dragon Just as Emperor Pilaf is about to make his wish, Goku leads the others in a successful escape attempt. Are they in time to preven the Emperor from seizing control of the world? And just what does happen when Goku sees the full moon? 13. The Legend of Goku Goku is exposed to a full moon. Transforming into a huge, alien gorilla, Goku goes on a rampage, attacking friends and foes alike. Can Bulma, Yamcha, and Puar return Goku to his normal self without hurting him and while also avoiding Emperor Pilaf's army? Releases Funimation first dubbed the Emperor Pilaf Saga in association with DLT Entertainment and The Ocean Group. The dub was edited for content and the entire musical score was replaced. The dub entered syndication in 1995 and was cancelled after dubbing thirteen episodes and the first movie. The Ocean dubbed Pilaf episodes were also released to VHS from Trimark in 1996. This video line contained six volumes, each containing only two episodes except for one volume that contained three episodes. There was also an additional volume that contained the first movie. Trimark later released the thirteen Ocean dubbed pilaf episodes and the first movie in a two disc dvd boxed set in 1999. In 2001, after Funimation had dubbed Dragon Ball movies two to three, and had been working on Dragon Ball Z for two and a half years, they restarted production on the Dragon Ball series using their own in house cast. The newly dubbed Pilaf episodes featured the original Japanese musical score, a revised script, and was only lightly edited for content. These dubbed episodes aired on Toonami from 2001 to 2003. However, Trimark still owned the North American home video distribution rights to the Pilaf Saga and the first movie until 2004, so Funimation released the series to VHS and DVD beginning with the Tournament Saga, but Madman released the Pilaf Saga uncut in Australia and New Zealand. However, Lionsgate bought Trimark in 2002, and renewed the rights to the Pilaf Saga and the first movie, making Funimation unable to release those properties. In 2009, Funimation purchased the home video rights to the Pilaf Saga, and will include them in an uncut remestered boxed set with the Tournament Saga. The set is set to be released on September 15, 2009. Filler Since the anime was created due to the success of the manga, that means that the entire saga had already been completed in the manga. As a result, in an attempt to "catch up" with the manga, minimal filler exists, most of which involves Pilaf. In the manga, he wasn't introduced until after the Boss Rabbit fight, when our heroes entered his turf. In the anime version he appeared in the very first episode, and minor filler scenes in subsequent episodes. This footage was most likely created for the sole purpose of introducing the main villain in the saga. As it stands, the Emperor Pilaf Saga has the record for the least filler of any Dragon Ball anime. External links *Dragonball Z GT Information Database *www.dragonball.com *www.dbnao.prv.pl *www.db-unlimited.net *www.dragonball-paradijs.net Category:Dragon Ball sagas